With 167,000 dead or missing along an 800 kilometer strip of coastline that had been swept clean of buildings and all signs of life, the task of rebuilding seemed, and was, overwhelming.

在800公里长海岸线的沿线地区，建筑物被横扫一空，没有任何生命的迹象，共有 16.7万人死亡或失踪。 在这种情况下，重建任务似乎很艰巨，而且确实也很艰巨。